Arizona the New Wisconsin?

Overhauling Arizona’s rules for disciplining state workers who are incompetent, ineffective, or behave badly remains a top priority for Governor Jan Brewer and lawmakers who say they will likely advance the issue in a special legislative session.

If they do, they can expect a backlash that could erupt into protests akin to those that occurred in Wisconsin earlier this year when legislators there were mulling a bill to curb the collective bargaining rights of public employees, the head of an Arizona labor union for government workers said.

A roughly 300-page proposal from Brewer would phase out existing civil service protections for state workers, moving them into an “at-will” system similar to what is typical in the private sector. Brewer has not released the bill or even a summary of the legislation. However, she did ask lawmakers in the waning days of the just-concluded legislative session to take up the issue before adjourning. But the governor’s request came too late, as lawmakers were anxious to wrap up a tough session, top legislators say.